NPR’s abortion audio reveals its ugly smugness
NPR’s abortion audio reveals its ugly smugness
NPR listeners were taken aback by the fact that the network was willing to bring a debate about abortion into the main broadcast.
That’s just the kind of NPR we expect from a network that considers itself to be an education network.
I went into listening to the anti-abortion recording with two questions: How is this audio different from previous NPR abortion coverage and why were the NPR abortion reporters so smug in their analysis?
Before I get to those, I should note that I am not anti-abortion. I am pro-choice and understand that the woman who was the subject of the abortion recording is the mother of three children and that she wanted a safe abortion.
The abortion debate is not a simple conversation about this woman’s rights but a debate about whether abortion should be subject to the same rights protections and same legal protections as a man.
I was shocked that NPR, a network that is supposed to be a “public radio” network, would have not only a discussion about abortion but actually have the abortion workers — the pro-choice advocates — take it seriously.
I know that the network has a history of coverage that is hostile to abortion.
But we are talking about a network that is known for its pro-choice coverage. NPR’s own description of its coverage from 2002 to 2009 read:
NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” are the nation’s most listened-to news programs, with millions of listeners around the world tuning in each weekday…NPR’s “All Things Considered” brings a critical voice to NPR listeners around the United States….Through the “All Things Considered” blog, NPR also covers breaking news stories in the newsroom from around the world in ways our listeners didn’t see. The stories range from cultural topics and issues — from the political to the global — and also include coverage of some of the world’s most important people and events.
The language could not be clearer. NPR has a reputation for being pro-choice. This is a long-standing reputation but that reputation has taken a hit recently.
NPR has done everything within its power to undermine the credibility of the
